Hot Picks 03.19.26

 Thursday, March 19

Trashy Treasures

Where some people might see trash, others see treasure. That’s been true throughout the ages, but there are some who take it a step further: trash into fashion. The South County Trashion Show is back, and it’s just as the title promises. Candy wrappers, old tires, well-read newspapers, used coffee bags and other discarded materials come together to form fashionable garb worn by models as they strut down the runway. The show is a fundraiser for Alliance on Aging, which provides services to local seniors. Sustainability meets art and fashion for a good cause. That’s four wins right there. [EC]

11am (silent auction and art show), noon (lunch and runway show) Thursday, March 19. Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, Orradre Building, 625 Division St., King City. $80-$90. (831) 655-7504, allianceonaging.org.

 Friday, March 20

A River Runs Through It

One quirky feature about modern life is how we can move about without thinking about nature. In the old days, crossing the Carmel River, especially near the wide river mouth that runs into the Pacific Ocean, was a major project, depending on the flow and conditions. These days, just cruise along over a bridge on Highway 1 like nothing remarkable has happened. Something else remarkable, if subtle to the untrained eye, is happening in the Carmel River floodplain. Big Sur Land Trust is working with a long list of other agencies on a flood protection and habitat restoration project called Carmel River FREE. Learn about the dozens of agreements that go into a project like this and take a tour of the project site with BSLT’s Rachel Saunders on a gentle, guided 3.5-mile hike. [SR]

9-11:30am Friday, March 20. Palo Corona Regional Park, 4860 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Free; sold out; waitlist available. (831) 625-5523, bigsurlandtrust.org.

ISO Genghis Khan

Award-winning author James Michael Dorsey continues his “Before They Vanish” travelogue series, presenting vanishing cultures through digital images and vivid storytelling. Next up, he leads a journey on “The Search for Genghis Khan,” taking attendees on a journey across northwestern China to learn about the brutally repressed revolt of the Uyghur people, cross the Taklamakan Desert by train, discover ancient mummies, and go high into the Alti Mountains to a land dominated by superstition, shamans, soothsayers and llamas. There, Dorsey introduces the legendary final stronghold of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, where he erected stone monoliths before riding west to conquer much of Eastern Europe in the 13th century. [KR]

5-6pm Friday, March 20. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free; RSVP required. (831) 646-3933, montereypl.libcal.com/event/16174798.

Killer Show

What’s the key to getting away with murder? Make the evidence disappear, of course. No – we don’t know this from experience. We know because of magician Robert Vogel and his show, Murder Mystery Magic. It’s an interactive illusion show, where audience members try to solve a crime, but at the same time, Vogel is practicing deception, reading minds, casting doubts about reality and making things vanish, right before your eyes. The wrong decision could have deadly consequences for someone. So will the illusionist get away with murder? That’s up to you – if you can keep your wits about you. [DF]

7pm Friday, March 20. Golden Bough Playhouse, Founders Theatre, Monte Verde between 8th and 9th, Carmel. $25. (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org.

Creatures of the Night

Skinwalkers are terrifying. The Navajo legend is said to have the ability to turn into an animal that brings fear to communities. You’ll never see them coming, and you’ll only know of their presence through eerie sounds and unnerving feelings. These skinwalkers in particular, though, are quite the opposite. You’ll definitely hear them, and you won’t be afraid. Instead, you’ll be dancing along with them. Local blues rock trio Sean and the Skinwalkers will tear the place up with their jamming performance that ranges from ’70s blues rock covers to original tunes. [EC]

7pm Friday, March 20. P.G. Meetinghouse, 599 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. (831) 373-8652, pgmeetinghouse.com.

 Saturday, March 21

Rainbow Feathers

The Audubon Society and Monterey Peninsula Pride are partnering to host a birding field trip that is cute and queer. Join them to tour the unique beauty of the Moss Landing area, led by Monterey Audubon Society board member Kai Russel and volunteers, to explore an area rich with a plethora of shorebirds and wintering gulls and sandpipers and bushtits. They’ll spend a morning helping you to finesse your identification skills and while learning about local and migratory residents during a short stroll around the tidal marshes and wetlands that flow into Monterey Bay. Some binoculars available upon request; reserve them upon RSVP. [KR]

9-11am Saturday, March 21. Jetty Road, Moss Landing. Free. bit.ly/QueerBirding.

Good To Grow

Maybe you have a yard, maybe you just have a few potted plants to bring some life to your apartment entryway. Either way, you want the space to look good and thrive – which is where the Monterey Parks and Recreation Department comes in. They host their annual Cutting Day and Horticultural Fair, featuring exhibits on gardening, propagation, drought-resistant plants and more. As a bonus, they are giving away tree seedlings. So surprise yourself (or your landlord) when a giant sequoia starts to grow. Yeah, OK. No sequoias, but lots of information. The event takes place rain or shine, because plants need both… although the drought-resistant ones not so much. [DF]

9am-noon Saturday, March 21. Colton Hall lawn, 570 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. (831) 646-3860, monterey.gov/parks.

Peaceful Feeling

Talking about death and grieving have mostly been taboo in our culture – which is unfortunate, since they are a normal part of the human experience. Darnell Lamont Walker, author of Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and the Art of a Peaceful End, shares his journey as a doula, beginning with being by his grandmother’s side tending to family and friends in their African American community in Virginia. His workshop gives attendees space and permission to talk about their own experiences, while Walker shares how facing your own end actually helps you live with more aliveness and less fear. Walker is a frequent Esalen Institute teacher, as well as a children’s TV writer. [PM]

1-3pm Saturday, March 21. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. Pay what you can, $20 suggested donation; reservation required. sandboxsandcity@gmail.com, sandboxsandcity.com.

With Latin Flavor

Whether trumpets, trombones or maracas set the tone for the song, Latin dancing goes beyond catchy rhythms; it also brings joy, community and connection. It’s also the perfect excuse to move the body, meet new people and socialize. The main requirement for La Vibra: Latin Night Social at the Marriott in Sand City is a desire to have a good time. The night kicks off with a dance lesson led by Andrea Leon of Baila Baila Studios, followed by two hours of a mix of salsa, bachata and other Latin music genres. [CJ]

6:30-9pm Saturday, March 21. Courtyard by Marriott, 800 Morgans Way, Sand City. Free.(831) 855-4100, event.marriott.com/mrysy-courtyard-sand-city-monterey/events.

Joke’s on Us

No, she is not an exotic massage therapist who always gives happy endings, but she almost definitely will point out the horrible stereotypes that get repeated not just in hushed tones and let’s be real, out loud. Comic Jiaoying Summers has made a name for herself digitally with more than 1 billion views, making us laugh at the cringiest things people say. (Check out her “Uber Karen” sketches on TikTok in which she takes the driver’s seat and interrogates… everything.) She takes to the stage for a stand-up show after selling out her tour across Australia and Asia. And yes, if you must know, she is Asian, specifically Chinese, and immigrated to the U.S. where she lives in Los Angeles. Whatever gender, age and species – um, make that ethnicity – you are, expect to hear a joke that will make you laugh about yourself. [SR]

7pm Saturday, March 21. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $42-$95. (831) 649-1070, jiaoyingcomedy.com.

 Saturday, March 21-Sunday, March 22

Spring Symphony

The Monterey Symphony’s March performance weekend is packed with a star violinist and a new work the Symphony co-commissioned as part of its eighth anniversary celebration. The program opens with the new composition “Moño,” by Marina López, born and raised in Mexico City, now Pittsburgh-based. Stefan Jackiw, one of the country’s foremost violinists who is playing with the Monterey Symphony for the first time, will perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The program also features Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony, which Music Director and Conductor Jayce Ogren calls the composer’s “greatest tribute to nature, humanism and spirituality.” The weekend also features the annual Women’s Night Out event on Saturday, this year with a White Lotus theme. It’s sold out but if you see women draped in pink scarves like Jennifer Coolidge or exotic kaftans like Parker Posey, you’ll know why. [PM]

7:30pm Saturday, March 21; 3pm Sunday, March 22. Sunset Center, San Carlos at 9th, Carmel. $12-$90. (831) 646-8511, montereysymphony.org.

 Tuesday, March 24

Tune In

No, this isn’t a barbershop and no, it isn’t the 19th century. What it is may be a modern take on the barbershop quartet, although songs sung would technically need a capella to qualify for the hats and vests. Trade those up for classy suits and a night of illumination by stars (the singers) and candlelight, and you’d have some kind of idea about Il Divo. The four-man group comes to Carmel with a trail of success, including 160 Gold and Platinum records across 35 countries. You’d need something bigger than a barbershop to hang all those up on the wall, so maybe a 713-seat theater will do. [SC]

7:30pm Tuesday, March 24. Sunset Cultural Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $75-$130. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.

 Wednesday, March 25

Tech Talk

Most people have no idea how advanced technology works as long as it works and artificial intelligence (AI) is no different. For those that are curious how a large language learning model can answer all of your burning questions and with a personality that rivals an actual human, check out “Artificial Intelligence: The New Language of Power and Possibility” with Stanford University Professor Emeritus Terry Winograd, a pioneer of AI whose early work with natural language process inspired the next generation of researchers. In his talk, Winograd will explore how AI works and ways it will potentially shape the future. [AS]

7pm Wednesday, March 25. Carpenter Hall at Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-2811, carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org.

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HOT PICKS by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper.